Do you play tag?

With your photos that is? 

[LOL  You thought I was going to play tag with you didn't you?  I so wish we could have one big scrappy tag game - imagine the giggles!  Winner could take home a bag of scrap goodies and losers would have to clean up after the crop!  OK - meet you in my front yard in half an hour ;) ]

But I digress. I was going to ask if you regularly tag your digital photos with key words?  I have found this practice so helpful - especially because I take A LOT of photos. When I want to find photos from an event I just do a quick search and it pulls up the photos. 

I just use the program that was on my computer (Microsoft) so check to see of the program you use has this feature.  If not there are a lot of programs that do.  I just add very simple tags that will help me narrow down my search.  I do it whenever I upload photos to my computer so I stay on top of it. 

For example Harper was on TV the other day so I snapped a few pictures of it so I could make a scrapbook page. (She was on TV with her school to promote a running/self esteem program she belongs to called Girls on the Run.)

(Yes the photo isn't great but I wanted to record the moment and it still captures that for me.)

I uploaded the photos from my camera and there were over 30 pictures (she was on 5 times in an hour).  Even before I went through them to delete the ones I didn't like or need I tagged them.

Just a simple tag - Harper on TV.  Sometimes I just type the kids names or words like - Spring, Museum or 4th birthday.  Words that I might use to search my computer with.  Sometimes when I search it pulls up a lot - depending on how generic the word is but that is good sometimes when I am not looking for an event photo but more of a photo to suit a story I am telling.  For example, I may be writing a scrapbook story about how I hate winter so I search "Spring" within my photos and it pulls up everything I tagged with spring.  I then can pick photos that work with my story.  Same goes for birthdays, holidays or other events in our lives.

I love this system. 

And then when I have a few moments I do go through my photos and delete the ones I don't want.  I don't always have time when I first upload but I do try to do it somewhat regularly.  I take a lot of photos and if I don't delete I end up with too much (overwhelming) and there is no point in keeping the ones I will never use.  I have two steps to this.  I do a "first delete" which is the really obvious deletes - like duplicates of the the same moment (I have a habit of taking two of every picture to make sure I "got" it) or really out of focus or "bad" shots.  Then later when I go to print I get more critical and start figuring out what I really want to print or keep and what I really don't need.  Sort of like when you are cleaning out the closet.  First step, toss away everything you hate.  Second step really ask yourself, "Are you really going to wear that again?"  Same with the photos.  Best done in two steps.

So basically try and find out if your program has this feature and try it out.  Don't worry about tagging the backlog of photos if you find the task overwhelming.  Just start with the new ones you upload from today on.  As a scrapper I bet you like it - no more searching forever for that one photo of Jimmy that you know is there somewhere!  Hope this helps someone, somewhere. :)

And remember I said I was going to scrap last night for the first time in a bit.  Well I did.  I got a page done that is a gift for someone (can't show it until she gets it) and I am really happy with it.  It had been half done for awhile but I was stumped on one part.  Inspiration hit last night and I am really happy with the way it turned out.

And then I started in on some more class stuff.  I worked on the embellishments for my Altered Canvas Memory Clock class (offered at all four GASCs).  Just love the way these turned out.  We will be making them in the class to be used on the canvas.

And then I need to do some number organizing for the class.  Some yummy felt numbers.

And now I am off to go cake shopping with Magnus.  It is his birthday soon and we are celebrating this weekend and he gets to pick his cake today.  Can we say excited???

Not my book since, well, it isn't finished printing yet but over on MyCraftivity there is a chance to win a copy of Debbie Hodge's new book Get It Scrapped!.  Here's a little blurb about the book.

Do you have stacks and stacks of photos just waiting to be put to good use? Author and artist Debbie Hodge has your solution! Whether your photos are digital files or prints, everything you need to know for organizing your images, analyzing what you have and making a plan for the layouts you'd like to create is right at your fingertips in her new book, Get It Scrapped!, due out this week. Inside you'll discover a wealth of information on basic page formats, photo storage and organization, creative journaling, photography and more...

Seriously.  Who doesn't need that?  I don't know one scrapper who couldn't use some help gettin' it scrapped!

So all you have to do is post a comment on this blog entry and you are in a random drawing.  Winner is announced Friday.  When I was there there were just over 50 comments - pretty good odds I think!

So that is it for today folks.  I have had one of those super busy days where I did a million things and still feel like I got nothing done!  Now, though, the kidlets are in bed and my hubby is reading so I am off to scrap!  Feels like forever and I am so excited.  Might be a late night for me :)

When photographing your scrapbook pages do you get this?

Weird angles and distortions?  Then this is for you.  I have been asked to become a contributing editor for TakeGreatPictures.com and have my first article up and guess what it is about?

Yup.  If you have trouble photographing your layouts then read the article and your photos should improve immediately. Go. Read. Leave your feedback. Let me know if it helps you.

I am going to be writing regularly for TGP - all scrapbooking/photography related articles so be sure to check back at the site.  And for those who are curious people here is a little about TGP...

My final cover!  My editor sent it to me last week and I thought I would share.  It is being printed right now and I cannot wait to see it as a book!  Woohoo!  I am so excited **insert me doing a happy dance**.  You can pre-order it on amazon.com and a few other place I believe but it will officially be available in July.  There will be copies available at the GASC when I am there so save some of those scrapping pennies and you can pick up a copy.

So what did you do this weekend?  I spent a good part of it doing yard work.  Clearing up leaves from the fall and clearing out the gardens.  I am certainly feeling the aches of it today!  LOL.  It is not nearly complete and I spent the morning on it again today but it is totally satifying.  Though the work is hard it is nice to see the yards looking tidy and it is wonderful to uncover tiny plants that have been growing under the winter mulch in the gardens.  It definitely feels like spring and there is no going back to winter now.  THAT makes me very happy!

OH and a new, especially funny "funny" from Magnus.  We went to the museum on Friday and for the first time went to the Egyptian section the museum.  Who knew we would spend the entire time there trying to explain the difference between a "mummy" and a "mommy"!! Very difficult for a three, almost four year old to understand!  

We explained mummification (there were some drawings on a chart) and tried to get him to hear the difference between the two words to no avail! 

I then told him this particular mummy was a boy and he just kept asking how did he turn into a girl after he died, lol.  Austin and I laughed and laughed over it.  And he still does not get it but it is just too much for him to understand right now.

My husband also got a good laugh at me while there too.  I had a slightly embarassing moment in the Roman statue gallery.  Magnus was asking questions about, ahem, the body parts on the statues and while I am not one to fudge things with my kids, there were others in the gallery and there was a slight echo in the place.  So in an effort to be discrete I tried to answer Magnus' questions honestly but my effort to censor myself because of the others around caused me to be slightly flustered and I ended up "shouting" out a male body part's name. (Not the proper name either which shows how flustered I was - a slang name!) I disagree with the shouting part but my husband insists that I shouted it!  Plus the echo...you can imagine the embarassment now right? 

Now Austin loves to walk past me when no one is around and echo the word at me.  I have to admit now that moment is over it makes me laugh cause it is something out of a book or a movie but at the time I am pretty sure my face was bright red! 

So the moral of the story for me - just go with what I always do.  Be honest with the kids.  Body parts are not something to be embarrassed about and are not something that I am normally embarrassed about.  I talk freely with my kids and I need not censor myself because of the people around me.  My trying to censor probably made more people uncomfortable than if I hadn't! 

I am pretty sure they went home and told their families about the woman in the Roman statue gallery who shouted out the word...

(I also wish I had take a discrete photo of the statue in question just so I could make a scrapbook page with this story!)

I save my paper scraps.  But of course they build up faster than I can use them.  So what to do with them all?

Well, Magnus uses them a lot.  He is just at that age when scissors seem to hold magic wonder.  He loves to sit on the floor next to me with scissors and just cut. Little bits and pieces until there is a giant pile.

But sometimes we do take them out to make actual crafts.  Yesterday was a crafty day for Magnus and I.

Magnus discovered glitter.  Oh did he ever discover glitter!  Glitter + glue actually.  I am still discovering it all over my house!  LOL

Here is part of the glitter mess.

The paper I put under the project did quite contain the glitter!  It is the really fine stuff so it is everwhere now - Austin somehow had it in his hair this morning and I noticed some in Magnus' ears after his bath today!

And Magnus might have discovered that if he added this to his hand....

he would get this....

See what I mean about really discovering glitter + glue?  I have to admit that there were a few moments where I was cringing over the mess but I decided that the exploration was worth it and he really had a blast. 

Plus he sang under his breath the whole time, I am scrapbooking with Mommy, I am scrapbooking with Mommy...in a little sing-songy voice. How could I begrudge a little mess for that?  I love to get him involved in my crafts but he is a bit too little to make scrapbook pages for himself so this was perfect.  He was using MY supplies so that meant scrapbooking to him.

And then I got this picture which made my whole day.

There he is with his new crown, cutting paper for the next craft and concentrating so hard his little tongue is hanging out.  SO CUTE to me!

And the we continued to use up the paper scraps and made this little caterpillar friend.

Magnus also discovered how to sucessfully tear tape from a dispenser so he taped everything!  You know, instead of the tape ball thingy that kids love to pull out of the dispenser!  The caterpillar is wearing sunglasses (umm, tape) because it is a sunny day.  You can't see in this picture but the caterpillar is also carrying some shovels and pails (stickers) cause he was headed to the beach.  I so love kid imagination!

So just a suggestion for using up some scraps - get your kids making their own "scrapbooks". :O)  Crafts don't have to be fancy for kids to love them.  Actually, messy might be the only requirement!

Happy Weekend everyone!

I have been asked a bunch about the crochet flowers that I made recently so I thought I would post some info today in case you want to try it yourself.

Of course the first thing you need to know is how to crochet.  Don't worry if you don't know how.  Crochet is super easy to learn and is really a small investment if you are interested in learning - all you need is a hook and some yarn!

So here are some links on the basics of crochet to help you get started or if you need a refresher.

Check here, here or here.  I have to tell you I have not gone through their tutorials but they look like they cover the basics.  If anyone finds one better than the other let me know and I will highlight it.

Now before you get overwhelmed there are just a few things you need to learn to make flowers. Learn these things and you can ignore the rest for now.

Need to know: 

• How to make a chain (how to start)
• How to crochet in rounds (make a circle for the flower)

and then you need to learn a few basic stitches such as

• single crochet, double crochet, slip stitch and a triple crochet

If you find a stitch in a pattern that you don't know such as a half double crochet then just google it.  There are tons of tutorials online.  You will also need to learn how to decifer a pattern (which for me was the hard part at first).

It seems like a lot but once you master the single crochet everything else is very similar to it.

One word of advice if you are trying this for the first time.  Try with a simple yarn that is not too thin.  So no fancy feathery things sticking out of the yarn cause it gets frustrating to see your stitches until you have some experience.

So then once you have mastered these you can try some patterns.  Here are some links to some that I have made but if you just google - free flower crochet patterns - you will bring up a lot of options.

• Blue fancy flower with green center I made
• Orange flower with pink pop up center from the previous posts

And some easy ones to start with...

• made this one - I dropped the ties after I made it once
• looks pretty basic but I haven't tried it
• chain stitch loopy flower - haven't tried but really basic
• this one looks pretty easy and has a nice flat shape - good for scrap pages :)
• painted daisy - this one I made and you can see in the back of the photo with all the pink/orange flowers
• flowers and leaves - I have only made the leaf and there is one mistake in the pattern - chain 11 instead of 12
• I want to try this one - it is more complicated so not until you get the hang crocheting - there are more beautiful ones on this blog so look around a bit

So that should get you started on patterns.  I have to figure out how to write out the patterns I made up in my head.  I will see if I can do that.

Now what did I use to make my flowers? 

I have used embroidery floss in the past but this time I tried craft thread which is about the same thickness at embroidery thread.

Don't worry if you have never heard of it. I hadn't either until I went exploring at the craft store (do it sometime - it is fun to go in aisle you never go down!). I found it near the embroidery/stitching area in Michaels.  It is 2-ply and has a nice twist to it - more like a yarn then the embroidery floss. I bought an assorted bag that had a whole bunch of colors for about $6.  There is also thin crochet yarn that you can buy but the colors are usually limited and with this craft thread you can get a bunch of really great colors.  I also looked at the pearl cotton from DMC but since I wanted an assortment of colors I tried this and love it.

So then you need a hook.  I used a tiny little hook - a #4 (1.75mm) with this thread mainly cause I already owned it ;).  I think I will now get a few more tiny sizes to experiment with since they are less than $1 each. 

That's it.  Long ramble I know but that's how I roll!  I am a talker!

So I hope you try it.  Let me know how you make out or if you find something new by playing around.

OH and one more thing to share.  Look what I discovered on my walk around the farm yesterday. (Did you know that I live on a farm????? Sometimes I just need to say it out loud 'cause it shocks me sometimes 'cause I grew up as a city girl, lol)

The trees are starting!  Woohoo!  I cannot tell you how excited I am about this.

But unfortunately the grass still looks like this.  Could use a little green I think!

That is view from my backyard.  I am one lucky girl.

Well, for today at least.  I actually sat and scrapped.  My rhythm was a little wonky and I had flow problems with my page but at least I was scrapping.  Weird to feel creative but not able to be creative.  Oh, the drama of it all!  LOL

So here is the page.  Not totally happy with it but that happens sometimes.  The point is that I got the story down and I have captured the moment.  I think we all feel pressured sometimes to make "perfect pages" but that is not what scrapbooking is about.  I want my pages to look nice of course but scrapbooking is a way for me to express my life on paper - record my thoughts, my memories, and other such gushy/weird stuff!  I struggle with this all the time because of course I put my pages out there for publication BUT I always try to remember what it is about for me.  Not just a pretty page for publication. OK, sometimes I love to make a pretty page - just for my own joy but it is more to me. More than just stuff on a page.  It really is me in paper form.  Yup, that about sums it up.  Me in paper form.  I like that.  I think I will add that to my little book of notes.  Scrapbooking: Me in Paper Form.  Can't you just see it as a title of a book??

But I digress.  This was supposed to an intro to a scrapbook page.  Instead I got all philosophical on you when all I wanted to say was that it was ok to not make every scrapbook page into a masterpiece. 

Stop.  I am just going to post it. ;)

This is Magnus playing the other day in one of the toy buckets.  Happy as can be - picking out toys from the bottom and happily talking to himself.  Totally cute.

And now I off to think deep thought about the meaning behind scrapbooking.  Remember, me in paper form.

.........................................................................

Are you sick of me yet?  I think the sunshine had gone straight to my head!  Ta ta for now! :)

Today I decided to join.  I have been meaning to for awhile now but just never got around to finding a moment to do it.

OK I have to admit something here.  Social networking sites freak me out. (If my sisters are reading this they will laugh cause they are totally addited to facebook and I have been very resistent to the whole thing! Very resistent - there might have been some ranting to how evil I feel they are, lol.)  So mycraftivity is sort of like a social networking site but, and that is a big BUT, it is for crafters. 

So this is my justification for joining.  It has a specific reason for people to join - their shared love of the craft they "do".  Whether it is quilting, beading, cross stitching, etc - there is a spot for you to connect with others.  Yup, I can back peddle when it suits me ;)

I guess what I like about it is that it is not for just one craft.  Let's be honest - if you craft you probably dabble in a few others beside the main one you create in.  So right now when I am feeling like a crazy craft person I can check out other craft stuff - all in the same place I can check in about scrapbooking.  For me it takes awhile to get used to a new virtual place so one place for a lot of crafty things makes sense to me.

So how what that for justification sisters?  (Maybe they will force me to join facebook now...)

So back to registering.  I was surprised at how easy it was.  It took only a few minutes to plug in my info (I like that it tells you right away if your login name is available) and then I was in.  I set up my 'home' page.  It looks like I can blog there, add a photo gallery as well as join craft groups and even upload videos.  I haven't explored too much - or added anything to my gallery yet but I will soon.

As you can see - I have no friends yet.  This is part of what freaks me out about social networking sites.  Sometimes I feel like it is a popularity contest for some people.  Totally encouraging the wrong type of self worth to me but...please will someone be my friend, lol.  I certainly don't want to be the girl in school with no friends!  LOL  See. I am already getting needy. 

Please read all of this tongue in cheek.  I am not that freaked out and if you have already joined mycraftivity or are thinking of joining - let me know.  Once I figure the friend thing we can connect (I am not sure how to add friends yet - yes, I am that behind on the times - but I am sure it has got to be easy.) 

I am now off to visit the messageboard to see what is happening there.  Messageboards I am familiar with so I figure that is a good place to start.  Hope to see you there.

Oh.  I guess I should leave a link to my page.  Come, visit, we'll hang.

...getting more complicated.

Does that tell you anything about how I am doing creatively?  LOL. Yup, still a little nuts with all the creativity flowing through me right now and still having a hard time focusing.  Harper has caught the bug too and after teaching her how to crochet in rounds (she had only previously done rows on a blanket) she was busy making flowers too!  She even started to make her own designs and patterns which I love.  I love getting the kidlets to create and explore and understand so that they can make their own creations - not just mimic.

And you know I how I mentioned that I had all these crazy plans to make weird creative things - check out this buy.

This is to make an adhesive paste.  Picked it up at a bookbinding shop (on one of my crazy adventures last week).  I have never used it before but I need it to create some silk fibre tea light holder that I have in my imagination.  I wasn't kidding when I said that I wanted to try new things.  This new thing fit into the budget so I am allowing myself to try it out.  Will keep you posted. :)

And speaking of budgets I have to tell you I have a mini crush.  On who?  You may ask.  Well, our accountant of course.  We saw him this morning about taxes and I think there was a little mini crush going on ;).  Not the physical person but the smarts that could answer my every question without hesitation and without making me feel dumb.  Taxes freak me out.  I have no idea why.  I have nothing to hide and file everything correctly.  There is just something about them that is stressful  (you know what I talking about!) and one of the things that makes them stressful I think is the lack of knowledge.  I always feel as if I should know something more or that I am missing out on some deductible or something.  I know, yes know, that I could do our taxes - there are wonderful programs out there and I can add and substract, lol - but I would rather have a mini crush on the accountant at this time of year.

Does spring give you a creative boost?  Does it get you all ramped up to make and learn and create?

For me it does.  To the point where I am so ramped up that I am going in circles.  I have a massive urge to learn new creative things, try and experiment and just generally muck about.  It feels like a million ideas flowing through my brain - all at once.

The problem?  It is too much creativity right now.  There is so much going on in my brain and so many ideas that I can't seem to focus.  It happens to me every spring.  The urge to stretch myself is overwhelming.  I want to learn EVERYTHING.  I mean I am reading books on felting, bookbinding, crewel work, watercolors and so many more.  I just flit from one thing to the next - just soaking it all up and wanting to try it all.  The problem is that there are just not enough creative hours to fit it all in.  I mean if I worked all day just making stuff I couldn't fit it all in.  And since I obviously DON'T have ALL day to just create I feel frustrated.  When I do try tomake something I feel like I should be making something else or I need to go and get supplies for the new thing I want to learn and the I end up doing nothing.  Just going in circles I am!

Totally on creative overload and not able to create.  How crazy is that??  I mean I dream of feeling this creative and here I am complaining (well sort of complaining but not really -I have a smile on my face as I type this cause I can see how ridiculous it is!). 

So since I can't really focus I made myself sit last night with a crochet hook and I created these.  Something out of the norm for me and I was 'learning' so I was sort of satisfied - for about 2 seconds, lol!

Just fooled around and created.  A small project and they take little time to make so I was kind of satisfied.  I made MANY more than just these :) and I am not really sure what I am going to use them for but I like the way they look and they are all pretty tiny.  I figure I can use them on a scrap project or something - I have them in just about every color now!  LOL  It felt good to be creating - even if it wasn't some crazy loom weaving project or a wall mural....seriously, I have no room for a new hobby!  Scrapbooking takes up all the spare space in the house!

So that is me in a nutshell right now and probably for the next bit.  All ramped up on creativity and no way to get it out in a way that is completely satisfying.  :) 

Ah, if this was the worst thing in life then I expect that is pretty good! :)

I have a favor to ask you. 

My cousin has a friend who is in college and she is working on a marketing project for school.  She was assigned the topic - adhesives for scrapbookers.  Her group has created an online survey that will help them with their school project and I am wondering if you would take a few minutes to fill it out????

Here is the link.

This not for any company.  It is strictly a school project.

The survey is 20 questions long and only took me about 3 minutes to complete.

Thanks to anyone who completes it. :)

MMM = a Memory Makers Master!

Oh ya!  The rules for 2009 are up!  Woohoo!  Go for it! 

What are you waiting for???  You can't win if you don't try!

Good luck to everyone who enters this year!